Wishes
by sherlockianmuser
Summary: Eggman looked over incredulously towards Tails, who was now walking over sheepishly towards me, a bit flustered now that I'd given him the credit for today's success. I was about to run over to him, to hug him and tell him how proud I was, but I didn't. I wish I had.


**So, this is my first Sonic story. I hope it isn't too bad, and that you enjoy it – although enjoying what will happen in this story might make you a bit of a psychopath (yes I might be one myself for writing it by hey-ho, life goes on).**

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It had all happened so fast. The robot had come out of nowhere, and everyone was too shocked to react quickly enough. I had gathered Knuckles to assume our usual fighting stances, and Amy and Rouge had stood beside us, poised and ready to attack, Amy gripping her Piko Piko hammer and Rouge tightening her boots, ready to kick this robot into space. Cream, Cheese and Cosmo had taken shelter inside the nearest building, and kept communication with us throughout the fight. Tails had raced back to his workshop in record time for himself, and, within minutes, he was flying over the robot inside the Tornado X, already shooting the robot.

After Tails had done his round, Knuckles and I attacked.

The robot was like a mixture of everything we'd ever fought: it's armour was tough and thick, like the Meterex's, but with twice the fire power. We did the only thing we could do, and attack. I spin-dashed one of its arms, trying to dislodge it, but was met with a slap which reverberated throughout my entire body, knocking me back to the ground. That was just the beginning of the battle, though.

Knuckles managed to work with Rouge, amazingly, using her spinning technique to create momentum, whilst Knuckles unveiled his Shovel-Claw, which, when he reached the robot with immense force, grinded through the robots hinges that kept its arms and legs from falling off. Amy took her advantage, and completely destroyed the metal components before the robot had a chance to repair itself. The robot could not move after that, and just rested its heavy body along the ground.

But somehow, it became so much more deadly that way.

More fire-power was revealed to us: lazar canons rose from the metal body, along with more normal guns that could hold more bullets without having to reload, and shot at all of us. It hit the building where Cream, Cheese and Cosmo were taking refuge along with other citizens of Mobius, but, being Cream, Cheese and Cosmo, they directed all the people out in time, to another safe area where the robot couldn't harm them. We all breathed a huge sigh of relief, especially Tails, when the communicator replied back to us, telling us they were all safe.

That didn't mean us, the ones fighting, were though.

I managed to get back up on my feet after my body stopped reacting to the slam earlier, and I gave my all, throwing spin-dashes, punches and kicks all over the rest of the metal-work, trying desperately hard to do some sort of damage to this robot. Whilst I ran dodging bullets, I recognised the familiar logo of Dr. Eggman, which consisted of a small, but round head, with two great moustaches growing ragged and rough on the face, two holes in the face representing glasses. This was all his doing, and it continued me forward. I would not let Egg-head beat us this time.

Amy, Knuckles and Rouge all joined me in the offence, with Tails as a back-up if we couldn't attack the machine. Tails was such a good pilot, throwing the lazars off target from all three of us time and time again while making sure he was safe. He gave us all a chance to defeat the robot and whatever was controlling it. When the robot had managed to knock us away from our stances, Tails would always be there to damage it.

When Tails had allowed me to get back and attack, I dented it with a power kick, and Knuckles, who quickly followed me, clawed his way further into the carcass of metal which was now rapidly losing and giving up on whoever was controlling it inside. Victory was in our sights. It took a series of attacks from all of us before Tails gave one last lazar blast for the robot to finally shut down. The lights that glowed a horrifying red had faded into pure black, and the framework of the body had been bashed in. The controller, Eggman, clambered out of his ruined machine, battered and bruised himself.

"Why, Hedgehog? Why do you have to win?" The Doctor screamed, his face red and hot from another loss.

"Because evil never wins, no matter how much you try," I said. Knuckles was adamant on giving Eggman one last punch, so I let him. His punch left Eggman lying in the remains of his beloved robot, tearing up at yet another defeat. "And I didn't even give the last blow, Tails was the one who shot your precious robot. I'm not selfish in who gets credit," I continued.

Tails came down from the sky then, the glass carrier opening up to release him. The Tornado X hadn't gained so much as a scratch during the battle, and it was a testimony to Tails that both he and his plane had come out unscathed. He jumped down from the plane, bending his knees as he landed, trying to not lose balance as he realised we were all looking at him.

"Well done buddy," I called out to him. Tails beamed at me, realising he was the one who would get the credit today. I rarely did, and it was amazing to see him smile like that, proud that he'd saved Mobius.

Eggman looked over incredulously towards Tails, who was now walking over sheepishly towards me, a bit flustered now that I'd given him the credit for today's success. I was about to run over to him, to hug him and tell him how proud I was, but I didn't.

I wish I had.

Maybe I could have stopped it? Maybe I could have taken the hit for Tails, or at least moved him out of the way, but I hadn't. Tails was just passing Eggman, and the look from my best friend gave the situation away to me: Eggman was going to attack him. Tails had just turned his head slightly to catch a glimpse of the robot we'd defeated, when he'd seen Eggman raise a small gun with a shaking, bloody hand. Tails opened his mouth, and shouted my name, but I wasn't quick enough. The one time in my life when I, Sonic the Hedgehog, wasn't quick enough!

The gun fired, and the shot was the only sound for a few seconds. Everyone gasped, and the birds flew from their trees miles away. Tails stopped in his tracks, completely stunned. Eggman then pressed a button in the robot, and his body was teleported away. He didn't see the damage he'd inflicted. I rushed over to Tails just as his knees gave way, stopping his body from hitting the floor. He looked so scared, like he knew what was going to happen. His hand was covering the centre of his stomach, where blood was being to gush out. Tears welled in everyone's eyes, and Tails couldn't shut his mouth as shock set in his body.

Amy and Knuckles began to run over, while Rouge stood dumb in her shoes. I started to stroke my brother's fur, rocking him gently. His limbs were shaking, and he winced when I tried to look at the wound Eggman had given him. His breathing was rash and fast, with whimpers and sobs beginning to rise as the hysteria of pain began to set in, and I couldn't do anything!

"Sonic, I did good, right?" Tails asked, his voice turning hoarse.

I looked at his terrified face, and panicked. How could I possibly comfort him? He was dying! But, I had to do my best. "Of course you did, buddy. You always do good."

Amy knelt down beside me and Knuckles sat down behind her, both silent. She began to sob on my shoulder, her tears wetting the blue fur that I wore. Knuckles didn't cry, he just stayed silent next to Amy.

"Sonic, I'm scared. I-I don't wanna-"

"Hey, shush right now. You're gonna be okay. We're gonna get you to the hospital, and they'll fix you," I explained, trying hard to comfort both of us. It was when the blood started rise from his mouth that I knew it was over. "You're my best friend, Tails, and I'm not going to let Eggman win, okay."

Tails just nodded, and grimaced as he continued to bleed. I thought it was from the pain, but, in the corner of my eye, I watched Cosmo, Cream and Cheese walk over from the safe area they'd quickly made away from the robot. Cream and Cheese both shouted Tails' name in unison, and ran straight towards us. Cheese gripped Tails' arm, and patted it with her tiny hands. Cream began trying to mop up the blood, but she was too young to understand that this was it for Tails, this was his end.

But Cosmo wasn't, and she understood too well. She looked so faint from where she was standing, but, somehow, she willed herself to see Tails, the one person she truly loved. She came back from the dead, in that tiny white seed I managed to save, to be with Tails. And now he was drifting away. I nudged Tails to look at Cosmo, and made at face that told him to at least say goodbye to her while he still could.

They were both too young for this, to have to handle with each other's deaths, and Tails would not be able to come back like Cosmo. It pained everyone to see Cosmo so horrified, so traumatised.

"Tails what happened?" Cream begged.

He was getting colder in my arms then. "I was walking to Sonic and Amy over there, when Eggman... shot me." He shaking more now, and the reality of everything dawned on everyone.

We'd never lost anyone before. Yes, Shadow disappeared a lot, but he never died... he always came back when trouble consisting of him showed up. Chris may have teleported back to Earth, but he never died... if he repaired the machine again, he could return. Cosmo may have sacrificed herself to defeat the Meterex, but she was back now... back from the dead. Tails had no way back to the living once he was gone, and he was the first person we would really lose to Eggman, and it was... well, there are no words for what I was thinking or feeling as I held my little brother in my arms, his breath fading.

More blood ran from his wound, and his energy was leaving him. His eyelids were dropping and rising too many times to count, and his muscles were relaxing far too quickly in my hands.

"Don't you dare close those eyes, Tails. I love you too much, don't you dare!" Cosmo willed, tears brimming and falling out of her own eyes. Amy sobbed harder onto my shoulder, and I thought she was imaging me in Tails' position and her in Cosmo's... it was too painful to comprehend.

The wind was slowing with Tails' breath, and the other people of Mobius who'd fled from the attack were gathering round a few yards away from our group. I looked up at them; they all held their heads low, bowing in thanks for their saviour, but all sad to see him go. One child was crying silently into their mother's arms, and I pulled Tails in closer to me.

"I'm so sorry, Cosmo. I love you, but I can't..." He was getting too quiet.

"No Tails, I'm sorry. I just don't want you to go," she wept.

Tails kept his eyes open, and looked at Cosmo with guilt stricken on his face. "I don't wanna leave you."

Cosmo pulled him away from me, and embraced him in a hug. I didn't realise I had been crying until Cheese began to wipe away the tears which were streaming down my face like a waterfall. I thanked her, and watched Tails and Cosmo hug. Cosmo planted a gentle kiss on Tails' cheek, and rested her forehead on his. They held hands, and looked like they never wanted to let go. Tails could no longer hold himself up, and the shaking began again. In a split second, I was by his side, stopping him from collapsing on top of Cosmo.

"Take care of everyone, Sonic," Tails mumbled to me in my ear. This was it, and Tails knew it.

"I will bro, I always will," I assured him. Amy, Cream, Cheese, Knuckles and Rouge – who'd snapped out of her trance earlier – all said their goodbyes to Tails quickly, the crying starting all over again for Amy.

Then, his chest dropped, and his eyes closed forever; the blood had stopped running, and had turned cold; there was no movement in him arms, and no voice to stir us. He was gone.

My world has never been the same since: we've only been lucky to escape and evade Eggman since Tails' death. He gloats and taunts us that he was always going to kill Tails, and that we were always so powerless against him, but we never gave in. I made a promise to Tails, and I sure wasn't going to break it. Different people in Mobius started getting interested in mechanics, and I've heard of many a child novice on our planet since Tails' death spread worldwide because of the nature of how his life was taken, and there will always be someone to hack computers or build robots or planes to defend Mobius, but only control the Tornado X. If Chris ever returned, I would let him fly the controls, but not anyone else who I knew could crash and ruin the plane. It's now my only physical thing that I own that was once Tails'. The rest I gave to Cosmo, who needed the rest more than I did to remember him.

I'm not sure whether anyone will be able to fully recover emotionally of that day all those years ago, but one thing for sure is that Tails did not die in vain: I would keep my promise till the day I died, which I was certain wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

I'll see you heaven, little buddy!

_Sonic the Hedgehog._

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**Reviews are welcome. I hope that was... up to standard.**


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